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8 Movies from 7 Emirates

Asmaa Al Hameli, The National
September 18, 2013

Made in the UAE: An Evening of Emirati Short Films features diverse perspectives from some of the UAE's most talented filmmakers, writes Asmaa Al Hameli

The second edition of Made in the UAE: An Evening of Short Emirati Films, hosted by the Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research, will feature eight movies and documentaries in Arabic (with English subtitles) by filmmakers from each of the seven emirates. They will gather in Ras Al Khaimah to present and discuss their films: The Gamboo3a Revolution by Abdulrahman Al Madani (2012), Enough is ENOUGH by Aisha Al Hammadi (2012), Life Spray by Fatima Al Nayeh (2012), Mad Camel by Mohammad Fikree (2011), Moment by Mohammed Al Marri (2011), Slow Death by Jamal Salim (2011), Shaám by Suqrat bin Bisher (2010) and Al Kandorah by Lamya Al Mualla (2010). Some of the films were shown at the Gulf Film Festival this year and at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival in 2012.

The 23-year-old Aisha Al Hammadi from Khor Fakkan in Fujairah, who has a bachelor's degree in corporate communication from Fujairah Women's College, says her film Enough is ENOUGH was inspired by her own life and struggles. Called a "halfie" - her father is Emirati and her mother is American - Al Hammadi spent years trying to "fit in".

"I believe that sharing your struggle with people and telling stories about your past inspires people," she says, adding that she initially had difficulties making the film.

"At the beginning, everyone was against it except for my mother. My father was angry at first but now that the film has received wide appreciation, he brags about my accomplishments."

The 24-year-old Suqrat bin Bisher from Ras Al Khaimah is a Higher College of Technology graduate who has seven films under his belt. One of them is Shaám, a period documentary that talks about the people of Shaám, which is a village on the Oman-Ras Al Khaimah border. Bin Bisher says the film was the result of a college project and that he enjoyed showing the audience a place not many people had heard of.

"When we started the project, none of the students knew about Shaám or where it was located; neither did they have an idea about its history. Shaám is beautiful, with a wonderful coastline and mountains," says Bin Bisher, who also happens to be an accomplished artist: he has held five exhibitions in the UAE in the past four years.